Canadian Technology Roadmaps (TRMs) are used to identify the technology solutions that are essential to an industry’s future success, and to connect the stakeholders who can work on developing those technologies. We have worked with Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) and other federal departments over the past twenty years to develop the Canadian model for technology roadmapping. We have led roadmapping development exercises, been involved in implementing roadmaps, studied them to see what works best, and taught courses on the Canadian technology roadmapping approach.
A Technology Roadmap development exercise can use a variety of methods to identify the markets, products, and technologies that are critical to an industry’s future. Most often this work is done in workshops to encourage discussion and debate about all the factors that matter to an industry’s success. Working with industry members, these workshops provide a forum for reaching agreement on which technologies need to be “cracked” and who should collaborate to make that happen.
Developing technology roadmaps involves blending substantive discussions about future technologies with the art of getting people to work together. A successful TRM involves the blending of Chief Technology Officer level knowledge with the networking aspects of social media. TRMs in Canada have evolved into what we call “Technology-Focused Social Networking,” which is different from the roadmapping processes of other countries.